The present invention relates to a simple and relatively inexpensive strap and sling assembly for measuring carpet as the carpet is unrolled from a conventional carpet roll and a method of cutting a predetermined length of carpet from the roll using the strap and sling assembly of this invention.
Conventional carpet rolls are heavy, long and difficult to handle. A carpet roll typically weighs 500 to 600 pounds, but may weight as much as 1,000 pounds. The carpet is rolled on a cardboard tube and the length of the carpet rolled on the tube is generally 100 to 175 feet forming a carpet roll having a diameter generally of about 2 to 21/2 feet. The length of the carpet roll is, of course, the width of the carpet and is generally 12 feet, although carpet rolls having a width of 131/2 feet are also commercial.
The carpet roll must be cut to the desired length by either the distributor or the installer. This is accomplished either by hand or by using a commercial carpet cutting machine. Larger carpet distributors use a commercial carpet cutting machine which requires substantial floor space and costs thousands of dollars. A typical carpet cutting machine has a plurality of horizontal motorized rollers on either side of a cutter bed. These machines are generally not portable and therefore the carpet must be cut at the carpet distributor or warehouse and trimmed to size at the installation site.
Many carpet stores and installers cannot afford the substantial cost of commercial carpet cutting machines or do not have the floor space required for such machines. Further, it would be more desirable in some commercial installations, for example, to cut the carpet to length from the carpet roll at the installation site where the measurements can be double checked. Where the carpet is cut to length by hand, the carpet is unrolled on the floor, measured and cut by hand. This is a difficult task because of the bulk and size of the carpet roll and requires sufficient floor space to unroll the carpet to the desired length. Further, the installer must be careful not to cut the flooring.
Thus, there is a substantial need for an inexpensive carpet cutting device which preferably does not require significantly greater floor space than the carpet roll itself and which is simple to handle and operate. The most preferred carpet cutting device is one that can be used either at the carpet store or the job site and is easily transportable. The carpet strap and sling assembly of this invention accomplishes these objects and provides a simple and efficient method of cutting a carpet roll to length.